for 1 billion catholics around the world. no pope has resigned in 598 years. and it's happening just 48 hours before the holy season of lent begins. abc's jeffrey kofman is in rome with what we think happened. jeffrey? >> reporter: good evening, diane. it's as if an earthquake has hit the vatican. the lights are still on, the buildings are still standing, but people here rocked by the surprise resignation of benedict xvi. it began as a routine vatican ceremony, but the pope's announcement in latin was anything but routine. "i have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the papal ministry." with that, for the first time in 600 years, a pope is resigning. benedict xvi was already old, 78, when he became pope. that was 2005. here he is almost eight years

later, clearly frail and feeble. his older brother, father georg ratzinger, said today benedict is having trouble walking and had been advised by his doctors to stop traveling overseas. benedict will relinquish his papacy on february 28th. >> today's decision by benedict xvi came as a huge surprise to me, and, i think, to everyone in rome and everyone in the vatican. >> reporter: as a cardinal, joseph ratzinger was known as john paul ii's enforcer of religious doctrine. he did not like answering questions. here's abc's brian ross asking him about a sexual abuse case in 2002. >> reporter: the question was -- >> come to me when the moment is given. but not yet. >> reporter: in his almost eight-year-olds as pope, he would sometimes play the piano. he always wore his prada-style red shoes. but his passion was preaching the gospel. he's never enjoyed being an administrator and he paid a price for that. his papacy will be remembered for its scandals.

those endless sexual abuse coverups that cost more than $3 billion to settle. a string of financial scandals. benedict tried and failed to clean up corruption. and the notorious vatileaks scandal, with daily exposes in italian newspapers, a vatican back-stabbing in intrigue. he may have been the first pope to tweet, but as the leader, he tried to hold back the forces of modernity, refusing to expand the role of women. now, though, he is accepting the reality of the modern world. and the catholic church enters new territory. can the church cope with having an ex-pope alive while a new pope tries to create his own legacy? >> well, this is the tremendous question that lies before us. i mean, there is no job description for a retired pope. >> reporter: so, benedict remains pope until the end of the month. the cardinals have to assemble here for a conclave to elect his successor within 20 days. that takes us to mid-march. which means that a billion catholics around the world

should have a new pope by easter. diane? >> all right, jeffrey, thank you. and, of course, that new pope will have to face the call for change, from many people in the american catholic church. there are 77.7 million catholics here in the united states. nearly 1 in 4 of us is catholic. and rhode island, new jersey and massachusetts still have the highest concentration of catholics. but in sheer numbers, the biggest growth is among hispanics. and abc's cecilia vega spent the day gathering american reaction from all over. cecilia? >> reporter: diane, good evening. we're here at st. mary's cathedral in san francisco and as you said, we've been speaking with catholics all day long. and i will tell you, boy, the surprise does not even begin to describe the reaction here. at first, there was shock. very early this morning, the pope announced that he is resigning. >> oh, really? oh, my god. >> reporter: and then, there were prayers.

>> pray for our holy father, pope benedict xvi. >> reporter: for many american catholics a world away from the vatican, there is devotion to a centuries old institution. but for many others, today meant hope for a modern beginning. from new york -- >> the sure is, you know, a 2,000-plus-year-old institution that hasn't changed very much. and society is leaving the church way behind. >> reporter: to new orleans. >> i would like the catholic church to allow women to have the opportunity to become a priest. >> reporter: to chicago. >> they got to come to terms with the priest scandal. >> reporter: to san francisco. what do you want to see in the next pope? >> a more accepting pope. >> reporter: accepting of what? >> gay people. >> reporter: pope benedict may have taken a hard line against everything from gay marriage to abortion. the vatican even recently went public with its criticism of american nuns for being too progressive. >> the phrase that's been most thrown around in the media is

radical feminist. >> reporter: and compared to their church, many american parishioners seem to have a softer stance on social issues. when it comes to whether abortion should be legal, nearly half of american catholics say yes. same thing for gay marriage. and on female priests? nearly 60% of american catholics say let women join. but even with the new pope, how much change will there really be? >> it's an opportunity for the church to change, but it's not likely that the church will change. the college of cardinals is made up of men who have been appointed by either benedict or john paul ii. so, they're like-minded men. >> reporter: and american catholics make up the largest religious denomination in this country, but many believe if it wasn't for that immigration from latin america and asia, their numbers would be on the decline. so, will a new pope be able to change this course, diane? that is without a doubt the question on the minds of many of the faithful here this evening. >> certainly, cecilia. thank you so much.

and earlier, i sat down with one of the biggest forces in american catholic life, from new york, cardinal timothy dolan. and i began by asking him his reaction when he heard the news. >> i said, oh, my lord. so, you -- was i ever shocked. >> what happens when you have a former pope? >> i'm wondering myself. i'm wondering. we haven't been through this in 600 years. so, i think he's going to, let me get to my books. let me get back to piano, he's going to be saying. he's probably going to relish the transition. >> what are the odds of an american? a north american? and you were asked, what about you? >> is this abc news or comedy central? what is -- you are -- >> what would you like to see this next pope be and do in order to be as inclusive as possible of the american church and the american views on these social issues? >> sure. >> there has to be fundamental change.

>> the church is in the business of fundamental change, interiorly. but there can't be a tampering with the changeless teachings of the church. >> keep remembering when he gave you the thumb's up? >> thanks, thanks. my mom remembers when he said that she looked too young to have a son a cardinal. she said, holy father, you are infallible. >> so, did you see this yet? have you seen these pictures today? >> no, what's this about? wow. is that not something? did you guys see this with the lightning? boy, oh, boy. a lot of pasta overcooked with this lightning strike going on. >> and we thank his eminence, cardinal timothy dolan. and now, we move on, to the weather in this country and images that will be familiar to millions of us tonight. cars spinning their wheels, people digging out of the huge snowstorm on the east coast. in connecticut, as much as three feet of snow and 130,000 people in the northeast still without power.

and in a town in mississippi, there are other americans digging through the remains of their homes. a powerful tornado tore straight through town. abc's steve osunsami is there. >> reporter: in hattiesburg, mississippi, they couldn't believe their eyes. seeing this giant tornado, nearly a mile wide, rolling up the street. >> there's huge stuff falling out of the sky. >> reporter: brave residents and even braver photographers risked their lives getting these amazing pictures. look closely and see the power again, tearing through electrical transformers and lighting up the sky. >> people's lives being destroyed right now. >> reporter: two of those lives were johnny and johnice dupree. he's the city's mayor and is alive today because he hid in a closet. >> i think god is testing us. >> reporter: across the street, the pittman brothers have no insurance and will lose the home that's been in their family for generations. so, your dad's ashes were -- >> they were in the front living room. >> reporter: did he die recently? >> yes sir, about two months ago. >> reporter: wow.

maybe he was watching over you guys. >> maybe so. he had to be, i know somebody was. >> reporter: and there's still more severe weather on the way. potentially heavy snow and bitter cold for much of the east by the week's end. steve osunsami, abc news, hattiesburg, mississippi. >> thank you, steve. and now, we have an update for you on the manhunt in california for chris dorner, the former cop accused of targeting fellow police officers and their families. tonight, more than 700 tips have streamed in. there is still a $1 million reward, the biggest in lapd history. abc's pierre thomas has the latest right now. >> reporter: today, suspected cop killer christopher dorner was charged with murder. he now faces the death penalty if captured and convicted. >> officer shot, multiple times. >> reporter: the capital charges involve the murder of michael crane, gunned down in an ambush last thursday. he was married with two

children, ages 10 and 4. >> every law enforcement officer in southern california is in danger of being shot or killed. >> reporter: and this warning to the public. >> you know, don't think it's just about protecting cops. this man is a threat to every person in los angeles. >> reporter: a city in fear is fighting back. offering a $1 million reworld for dorner's capture and conviction. police have received more than 700 tips, including one that led them to this lowe's, sunday night. the shooting spree began about a week ago when monica quan and her fiance were shot to death in a parking lot. an allege ed excuse by dorner, o was angry at quan's father. >> to have your family targeted because they're related to you? that is absolutely terrifying. >> reporter: abc news has learned that a man claiming to be dorner has called quan's father to taunt him, telling the grieving dad he should have done a better job protecting his daughter. police have vowed to catch

dorner, but for now, the city can only hope the shooting doesn't start again. pierre thomas, abc news, los angeles. and we turn next to news that effects a lot of americans and the being financial decisions they make. a government report eight years in the making today says 40 million americans, 1 in 5, have a mistake on their credit report. more than 4 million americans endure mistakes so bad, their credit score is being lowered. and most of them don't even know it because they don't check the report. experts suggest checking at least once a year on a free government website, annualcreditreport.com, and reporting any errors or problems to credit bureau to get them fixed. and still ahead on "world news," a ship drifting aimlessly, 4,200 unhappy and uncomfortable vacationers on board. the rescue operation under way tonight to get them to shore. that's next. [ coughs ]

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with us to tell us what's being done to help the people on board. >> reporter: these are the first images of rescue efforts for the carnival "triumph." the u.s. coast guard monitoring the cruising come los us flo floating dead in the water, 150 miles off the coast of mexico. >> the ship is adrift. they are operating on emergency power. they're currently in deep water and not near any hazards to navigation. >> reporter: the ship even bigger than the titanic was bobbing like a 100,000 ton cork after a fire blew out its four engines. normally a sparkling city on the sea, but now, conditions are turning horrendous. after 36 hours, garbage is piling up. no air conditioning. many toilets not working. >> they have no running water, i mean, it's pitiful. >> reporter: brett's wife bethany is aboard. >> they are all crying and hysterical. they want to go home. >> reporter: life boats from another ship brought food to the crippled "triumph."

the ship has been maked by engine problems on two of its previous journeys. with the ship apparently shuddering, passenger lisa hurts snapped this picture of the stack, belching out black smoke. and jackie modisette posted this warning on facebook -- "they have been risking people's lives for months." two years ago, another ship was crippled by an engine fire. the u.s. navy had to chopper in 70,000 pounds of supplies. just moments ago, that first tug reached the stricken "triumph," but it will take two tugs a full three days to haul that ship back to land. not much of a vacation for those aboard, but carnival says it will reimburse all the passengers and give them a voucher for another free cruise, if they choose to take it. diane? >> all right, matt gutman reporting in from mexico tonight. and coming up, look closely. there are imposters among these penguins. what are they doing? can you spot them? we'll show you in our "instant index." index." [ female announcer ] caltrate's done even more to move us.

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comeback kid. and for everyone who fell in love with the fleet-footed baby penguin doing the dance of joy -- ♪ take a look at this. those are real penguins, real happy feet. taken by a spy camera video of the regal emperor penguins in antarctica. their ancient rich warms were caught on tape by these, those are robotic penguins. that one was a powerful working flipper and a camera inside. the robots were sent in to infiltrate the ranks of the real penguins without scaring them. and all the video is for a bbc documentary on their hidden world. and now, this just in from our abc news family to you. we are proud to announce that the network we're launching with our colleagues at univision has a name. it will be called fusion. a meeting place for english-speaking latinos bringing together different cultures, voices and viewpoints. fusion launches later this year.

we hope you'll stay tuned. and, coming up, did you see what happened at the white house today? it has everyone talking. the newest medal of honor recipient and the little star in a suit and tie who stole a precious moment. moment. break a i used to love hearing that phrase... but not since i learned i have postmenopausal osteoporosis and a high risk for fracture. i want to keep acting but a broken bone could change that. so my doctor and i chose prolia® to reduce my risk of fractures. prolia® is proven to help make bones stronger. i take prolia®. it's different- it's two shots a year. do not take prolia® if you are pregnant, are allergic to it or if you take xgeva® ..prolia® can cause serious side effects, including low blood calcium levels, serious infections, some of which may require hospitalization... ...and skin inflammation, rash and eczema. tell your doctor if you develop dental problems

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for an american hero, leader of a band of heroes through one of the most intense battles of the entire war in afghanistan. >> clint, this is our nation's highest military decoration. it reflects the gratitude of our entire country. >> reporter: this video was shot by the taliban on the day that army staff sergeant romesha help rappel their attack. more than 300 enemy fighters against his unit of just 53 men, defending an outpost the president today called tactically indefensible. >> these men were outnumbered, outgunned and almost overrun. >> reporter: he's credited with retaking the outpost and helping save many of his brothers in arms. bull more than 20, including romesha, were injured and eight were killed. their families were here, and romesha spoke to us about them just before today's ceremony. there's no doubt your fallen comrades are going to be in that room with you.

>> they'll be there. i just know it. >> reporter: many of his fellow soldiers were here today. romesha told us the medal belongs to them, too. a somber occasion to be sure. though romesha's 18-month-old son colin nearly stole the show before it even started. you're out of the military. what are your dreams, aspirations, hopes now? >> to be that dad and father, that husband, that really missed out on the 11 years i was in, you know? and to watch them grow up and be successful. >> reporter: jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> and by the way, the president said little colin was in the oval office before the ceremony, raced around sampling apples before he found one that was just right. and we thank you for watching, as we salute all of the troops overseas. we're always working for you at abcnews.com. "nightline" later at its new time, 12:35 a.m. eastern. and we'll see you back here again tomorrow night. good night.

sky 7 is over the scene right now of a standoff taking place in newark. >> police surrounded easy 8 motel just off interstate 880. they believe a bank robber is

holed up inside. another man gave himself up this afternoon. >> two men suspected of robbing this bank of the west branch around 1:40 this afternoon escaping with an unknown amount of cash. here is a live picture over the motel. police have not yet said whether they think the remaining suspect is armed. we'll continue to follow this story as it develops throughout the newscast and this evening. >> good evening, we have more news developing right now this, is our first look at the damage to the engine of a cal train that hit a tractor trailer rig this afternoon. cal train just tweeted this picture. that crash closed down one track and single tracking of trains is causing big delays as long as an hour for some. after the crash the trailer portion was lodged between a train and a wall. cal train hopes to have the trail skbrer train removed shortly. we'll stay on top of this

story and let you know when the track reopens here if itsaç happens while we're on the air. >> new information about the cold case disappearance of a in 19846789 a close friend of the person of interest says tonight she figured he was a pedophile. abc 7 news is in the newsroom with the story you'll see only on abc 7 news. >> she figured he liked young boy boys but doesn't believe he's responsible for little kevin's disappearance. tz the person interest of died six years ago. at the time he used the name dan ferian. she asked we not use her real name. >> i have thought of him as being a very kind, and one of the kindest people i've met with we'll call her susan for the sake of the story. she's refer together person of interest in the